Link Education Partners helped make March 2nd a very special day at Link Community Charter School when they brought guest readers to the 5th and 6th grade classrooms to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and support a love of reading. Link observed “Read Aloud at Link”, timed with the national Read Across America program that celebrates the legacy of Dr. Seuss by encouraging children to read. Readers brought their favorite books to share with young scholars and engaged in small group “read alouds” followed by Q&A sessions that drew insightful questions about both the stories read and the backgrounds of the readers. Among the guest readers were Reg E. Gaines, award winning poet, playwright and director; Jeff Buchanan, general manager of Toyota Motor Sales USA; Sister Alice Uhl, a retired educator; Nancy Laracy, writer and advocate for the chronic pain community; Gloria McDonald, inclusion consultant, and other friends of the school. Students were delighted by the guests, who read from a wide variety of books and captured the attention of our young readers. One guest reader, Jason Keller, vehicle operations manager at Toyota Motor Sales USA, remarked,” I was struck by how poised the students were, their eye contact, how prepared and engaged they were.” Heather Lichtman, a retired educator who read to students stated, “My experience at Link is always extraordinary!”
In addition to the Read Aloud at Link program, Link Education Partners has provided key resources to Link Community Charter School to support its literacy initiatives, including immersing a reading specialist to coach teachers, partnering with a foundation that places books in the hands of students, and delivering professional development to launch digital learning programs. These initiatives have contributed to the school’s impressive growth in student reading levels. “Read Aloud at Link” complements the school’s strong literacy program which includes a daily reading aloud component that helps children build their reading fluency and comprehension as well as motivates them to want to read more.
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